Fighting for Our Space: "Saving GL's Scout Home"
Defenders claim land on Quirlsberg hill as their territorial stronghold
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The Folke Bernadotte scouting troop is battling for the preservation of their home on Quirlsberg. The scouts discovered the shocking news of their eviction from the Q1 building through local reporting and a terminated rental agreement between the city and Protestant church. In response, the scouts wrote an open letter pleading for the preservation of their historical and significant meeting place.
The Open Letter from the Scouts
Dear Sirs,
As local politicians, we, the Folke Bernadotte scouting troop, make an urgent appeal to you.
It's been revealed through various media outlets that the Protestant church has terminated the rental agreement for the building on Quirlsberg, where our troop has resided for over 40 years as part of our almost 80-year history.
We understand that the building is old, but we don't view it as beyond salvage. We personally ask you: Please advocate for the preservation of the Quirlsberg building!
This building and our rooms are more than just a mere material possession for us. Our troop home, as we call it, carries the memories of hundreds of children and young people from the past few decades. Thousands of hours of voluntary work and love have been poured into it.
Beyond our voluntary work with children and youth, we also put great effort into maintaining our scout house. Each year, we hold renovation weekends where we perform tasks like trimming ivy, painting, renovating the kitchen, refurbishing furniture, or any other upkeep we can contribute to. This home means a lot to us; it's irreplaceable and irreplaceable by other spaces.
Consequently, we're ready to participate in the renovation works, both financially and with our labor, to a significant extent.
Our scout troop has been growing consistently in membership, currently boasting over 100 members-our highest numbers in decades! With most of our members hailing from the immediate vicinity, the scout house is the perfect place for us, unique and nearly impossible to replace in Gladbach Mitte.
Many of our members, children, and youth come from socially disadvantaged families. Yet, we've been able to conduct weekly group meetings and international trips, often without additional family payments, for over 75 years. Our troop home is a crucial element that makes all this possible. We fear that without it, we might not continue our operations.
We humbly ask you to support the preservation of the building, stand up for the children and youth from socially disadvantaged backgrounds in Gladbach Mitte, and protect a piece of local history!
Warm regards,Janis "Menu" Reinhold (Troop Leader)On behalf of the Troop Council and the Troop Leadership of Troop Folke Bernadotte
Standing Together for Our Community
Join us in making our voices heard and fighting for the preservation of our troop home. We don't want to merely watch it fade away. We're ready to work alongside local politicians and the community to secure a future for our beloved scout home.
Stand strong with us and sign our petition to help save our scout home!
We, the Folke Bernadotte scouting troop, implore the local politicians to advocate for the preservation of our historical and significant meeting place, the scout home on Quirlsberg, which holds the memories of hundreds of children and young people from the past few decades.
Moreover, we are willing to participate in the renovation works, both financially and with our labor, to secure a future for our beloved scout home, as it is irreplaceable and nearly impossible to replace in Gladbach Mitte, especially considering our growing membership and the vital role it plays in our programs for children and youth from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
